Cameron's Outburst
by Ayvee
Summary: Kilorn is injured during one of the battles in the Tech Towns. Cameron gets angry at Mare for not caring, and it results in a small dispute between the two. ONESHOT. Mare POV.


"Kilorn!" Cameron shouted, running as fast as her long legs would allow her. Blood poured out of his wound at an alarming rate. She collapsed beside him, ripping her clothes off to apply pressure to his injury. Sweat mixed in with her tears, as she screamed for a medic.

"Help! Hurry! Anyone, someone!"

I watched, numb. My feet were stuck in place while my best friend lied there in pain. Kilorn was groaning and breathing heavily. I didn't realize when my own breathing stopped. Time felt slower as I saw people rushing towards him.

I could feel my own legs pull me towards him, pushing past the crowd until I could kneel down beside him as well. I was right next to Cameron who was still holding down the completely bloodied rags. It was my fault. I'm the one who told them we should free the Tech Towns. I led him into this mess, I'm the one leading him to his deathbed.

Kilorn's breathing grew shallow. "Kilorn," I whisper. "Please don't die on me. Don't go to sleep, no matter how tired you feel."

His eyes were half-shut, and he looked dazed. Instinctively, I reached for his hand, but Cameron snapped at me. "Don't touch him!"

Shocked, I looked at her hostile expression. Irritation sparked in me because he was my best friend too. I'd known him longer than she had, she can't tell me if I'm allowed to touch him. But her expression and posture was threatening and… protective? Why does Cameron feel the need to protect Kilorn from me?

Coldly, I state, "I'm trying to help."

"Well, you're not." Cameron fixed me with a hard glare. "You should keep your emotions in check. You might shock him."

Baffled, I looked down to see sparks running along my hands. I wasn't even aware I was summoning my powers. It must be the stress of the situation. Scowling, I shoved my hands behind my back, proving her point. The skin healers finally arrived on scene. Cameron and I move immediately to give them room. We were all grimy and dirty and sweaty. Though there was no need for us to be there anymore.

Without looking at her, I say, "Better see if Farley needs any more assistance somewhere else." I'm watching Kilorn's face, waiting for a sign that he'll be okay as the healers work on the huge gash in his side. Half of his body looks like it's going to fall off.

"I hope you were talking to yourself," Cameron replies. I glance at her to see her arms crossed against her chest, feet planted firmly in place. "I ain't leaving until I know he's okay."

"Cameron," I start, preparing for an argument. "As leader of this team, I command you to go find Farley." Looking directly at her, she stands up straight and sets her shoulders.

"No."

I was expecting as much. I open my mouth to insist but she cuts me off. "Look, Mare. If you as the _leader_," she hisses "wants to make yourself useful somewhere else, then by all means, go. But don't you go telling me what to do while someone I care for is about to die!"

She's shaking with emotions I can't comprehend from her. How close have Kilorn and Cameron become? And where was I to have missed this? "Cameron-"

"Maybe you should go check on your prince. After all, you've seemed to have forgotten about the rest of us. I know you're dying to see if he's alright." Cameron's remark gets to me. She acts as if I'm too good to be here, too good to care about any of them.

"I'm staying right here," I say, firmly. "I'm going to make sure Kilorn's alright."

Her expression is smug. "Nice act, but that's something you must have picked up from the Silvers."

"What is your problem?" I snap at her. "Is it so bad that I want to make sure my best friend is okay?"

Cameron shrugs, unaffected by my outburst. "You didn't seem to care whenever you ran off with your Silver prince. Didn't seem too bothered to care about how Kilorn felt when he knew you and Cal would sleep together."

My mouth dropped open in disbelief. "What is this really about Cameron?"

"I'm just sayin', I think it's unfair of you to only care about Kilorn when it's convenient for yourself."

"Oh?" I inquire. "And you're saying all of a sudden you care about Kilorn, why? Is it because you have feelings for him?"

Cameron looks both embarrassed and like she wants to murder me. She mutters, "You don't know anything. You're the one who broke his heart."

"I didn't break his heart," I grit out.

"But you did. You chose to be with a Silver instead of the boy who's known you all your life. Hell, you guys were supposed to get married before any of this happened! Kilorn's been pining for you the moment he met you, and you went along with it until you met your prince. Until you met someone more exciting!"

I wonder how much was told to Cameron about Kilorn and my history. I'm surprised to find she knows any of it. "It's all in the past now."

"Like hell it is," she growls. "I have to watch this boy fawn over you like you're some kind of god while you screw him over to be with someone else!"

"I didn't ask for him to develop feelings for me!" I yell at her, suddenly tired of her comments. "I have a right to be with who I want to be, Cameron! You don't get to tell me how to live my life!"

We're in each other's faces now, struggling to compose ourselves. "You're right!" she shouts back. "I don't have a right to tell you, just like you don't have a right to tell us how to live OUR lives. But that doesn't give you the right to step all over us like you're worth more or something. That doesn't mean you get to forget about us now that you know what it's like to receive the treatment Silvers get!"

"It doesn't help knowing that you guys naturally shut me out!"

"That's because you walk around like you're better than us just because you're screwing the prince of Norta," she states matter of fact.

"You don't know anything about my life," I whisper to her, angrily. Lightning courses throughout my body as I get worked up. "You're just jealous because you know how Kilorn feels."

"What are you trying to say?" Cameron asks challengingly. We hold each other's gaze. Her hand twitches, and her posture is tense. Waiting for an answer. Bystanders stare at us, hesitating. Waiting to see what will happen, whether the lightning girl is going to get smothered by the silencer or fry her to bits.

"You like Kilorn and it kills you knowing he likes me," I say each word slowly, watching her facial features become livid. In less than a second, her fist makes contact with my face throwing me off balance. I stagger back, caught off guard by how powerful her punch was. Blood pools in my mouth and I spit, red staining the ground.

Cameron holds her stance, but her hand slightly twitches from the impact of feeling the lightning that had already been coursing on the surface of my body. I smirk slightly, satisfied that it had affected her enough.

"You should go back to being a Silver, it suits you better," Cameron spits. She takes in deep breaths, trying not to lose control of her ability. Adrenaline fills me, and I find the urge to continue taunting her, hungry for a fight.

"You're just a bratty teenager because a boy doesn't like you back." Cameron throws a punch again, but this time I dodge it. Reacting quickly, she swings her leg at me which I catch. I give it enough shock to cause her to yelp and pull back.

"That was dirty of you," Cameron snaps. Suddenly, I feel a growing numb feeling and realize she's using her ability to take mine away. Slight panic hits me as I'm afraid she's going to take it too far and eventually leave me completely helpless. My vision blurs, but I lunge at her, pinning her to the ground. She struggles against me, ignoring the weak shocks I send out to try and subdue her.

"Let go of me!" Cameron shoves me off and I know I land in the ground, but I can't feel it. When I lift my hands up, I can make out scrapes on my palms. Her power is both a gift and a curse. At least I don't feel pain. She flies towards me, intending to hit me again but I roll away, barely missing it.

"And you called me dirty," I struggle to say. I can't hear myself as I stand, relying on muscle memory. I can tell she's trying not to suffocate me because of her effects wavering. One second, I can see her clearly and the next, she's a blur. My hearing goes in and out, and occasionally I can feel my injuries until I can't. I clench my fists, trying to summon lightning but unable to.

Another Red tries to grab Cameron but she's too quick, and in seconds, we're wrestling on the ground. Any time I feel a weakening in her power, I take the opportunity to shock her as hard as I can. Though it's never enough, and Cameron and I exchange blows equally. My fist lands cleanly against her face, and she spits blood out, teeth bared. She is on top of me, yelling things I can't hear. I can't even see her as my vision fades to white. She is forcing her ability onto me, suffocating me. I am alone, in darkness, struggling to breathe.

"Barrow!" Farley's sharp voice cuts in, and I feel someone yank me by the back of my shirt upright.

My suffocation dissipates, and I regain my senses again, panting heavily. Cameron is nowhere to be found. "Where is she?"

"I ordered her to leave the area," Farley states. The people who were watching earlier have started to leave as well, probably due to Farley's commands. The Skin healers have taken Kilorn inside of a nearby building, probably well before Cameron and I started fighting. My wounds aren't healed yet.

"I didn't start it," I mutter, making eye contact. Farley holds my gaze, gauging whether I'm telling the truth. She sighs.

"That girl needs to learn how to keep her emotions in check. She can't be using her ability to weaken her own team members."

I nod.

"But you should also learn when to pick your battles," Farley frowns. "You're a leader now. Set a good example."

Farley's one to speak. "Aye, aye, captain." I salute her.

She shakes her head at me. "Come on. Let's get you healed up."


End file.
